Jean Grey is a mutant with telepathic and telekinetic abilities. When returning from a mission in space with her fellow X-Men, Jean merged with a cosmic entity known as the Phoenix Force to save the team. Jean’s body was trapped in a cocoon at the bottom of the ocean while the Phoenix Force took on her persona, using the code name… yes, you guessed it; Phoenix! Corrupted by Mastermind of the Hellfire Club, Phoenix was driven insane and became the Dark Phoenix, attacking her teammates, unleashing unbelievable amounts of energy and even devouring a star, inadvertently killing billions of beings. To make a long story short, Phoenix is subsequently killed and has been resurrected many times.

Marvel Legends Icons Series: 12 Inch Dark Phoenix

Company: Hasbro

Articulation: Over 30 points

Packaging: Window box packaging: clear plastic box showcasing the figure, slightly posed in a clear plastic tray. The company got their hands on one of Greg Land’s renderings of Phoenix, so that is on the front of the box, towards the bottom right. The back contains a short bio on the back, for those of you who don’t know her history of dying and coming back numerous times. (I wonder why she’s named Phoenix anyway…)

Released: 1st Quarter, 2009

Where to buy: I found it hard to get Dark Phoenix in stores (the only time I saw her was when I got her in Toys “R” Us), so if you really want her, check online. Dark Phoenix will set you back anywhere between US $20-$30 new.

Click to see larger-than-life Dark Phoenix

Dark Phoenix is clad in her classic red and gold outfit, complete with a soft plastic sash that includes a purely decorative phoenix-shaped clasp, and her signature phoenix symbol painted on her chest. All plastic, her sculpt has incorporated crease lines under her arms, on her abdomen, and along her joints to give the impression of a fabric costume, and her orange-red hair is sculpted for a “flyaway” look. All white eyes and dark red lips show she’s evil; a variant “good” Phoenix has her green outfit with green eyes and pink lips.

High Points: It’s the DARK PHOENIX. Seriously, though, her face paint is nice and she is 12 inches tall.

Low Points: I’m really disappointed in this figure as Dark Phoenix is one of my favorite characters. While she may have over 30 points of articulation, they all pretty much suck. Dark Phoenix is hard to pose because none of her joints move easily, and she can’t support her own weight. Her abdomen is too flat to contribute any real action movement and her hip, knee, and elbow joints are jerky and particularly hard to maneuver. Don’t even get me started on how skinny she is and how her arms, legs and neck are way too long for her body. I mean, when did Dark Phoenix develop a giraffe-like neck as part of her mutant/cosmic powers? The overall paint job isn’t that great either, considering she’s 12-freakin’ inches. I’ve seen better paint on 4 inch figures; come on, Hasbro! Dark Phoenix isn’t overly intricate, rather simple actually, and there is still bleeding, uneven lines, and the Phoenix symbol could have been better.

Overall: 2.5 out of 5 – A lack-of-good-action figure, I would recommend Dark Phoenix only if she is on sale, if you are trying to complete a collection and/or you are not bothered by not being able to play with your toys.

Kelly McNamara
contact@comicattack.net

Upcoming Releases: Marvel Universe Action FiguresThe heroes and the villains of the Marvel Universe make the leap from the comic books to your action figure collection with these all new Marvel Universe Action Figures! Each figure stands 3 3/4″ tall and comes with accessories to save the day – or conquer the world! Choose from characters like the Sub-Mariner, “House of M” Spider-Man, Jean Grey, Sunfire, theVision, and more to bring the Marvel Universe to life! Scheduled to ship in October 2009.
–PREVIEWS Catalog

I love your honest reviews Kelly, very informative and entertaining! We sell this figure at my comic shop and I really think it’s overpriced with a $30 tag. Honestly, I think this whole line looks pretty bad… “Giraffe-neck” lol.

The picture on the box is the green-and-gold version of Phoenix, Kris. It would have been nice to get the right costume on the box, as that picture actually has a red-and-gold version. As far as Spider-Man goes, I’m not sure of the difference (can’t recall his outfit in “House of M” right now), but flashy new labels helps sales. Kinda like the “New and Improved” gimmick. 😉

Thanks, Andy. 🙂 I totally agree with it being overpriced. I mean, with a price like that, I should be able to play with it!

Billy, Dark Phoenix has the worst PMS ever. I think it has to do with her dying and coming back and dying and coming back and dying….